Hi all.

I have been a geocacher and infiltrator for some time now, and have
always wanted to try out a metal detector in some of the places that
these sports have taken me.

So that being said, is there a MD that I can get for a hundred or so
USD that will give me a good idea of whether I would want to get into
this sport?  There are so many MDs on eBay that I do not even know
where to start!  I  know very little about the sport/hobby, so any and
all information you could give me shall be quite welcome.

I live in the Chicago area of the US, so I will probably be searching
around sites that date back to no later than the mid Eighteenth
Century, if that means anything.  I guess I might want to get into
searching beaches and stuff, but mainly historical sites.  I am not
looking to profit from this, but just to have a fun time out in the
field with my girlfriend, (but if it paid for my MD, that would be
cool, too!).

Thanks much!
--
YOP...

Nicko

I am also new to this hobby, and like you, did not really know what metal
detector to start with. However, I did a lot of research with all the brands
that I could find, including Bounty Hunter, Detector Pro, Fisher, Hays,
Minelab, Whites, Tesoro, Garrett, etc., on-line and through others who knew
far more than myself. I wanted good detector, but did not need or want the
top of the line at this point. I am a novice and beginner, so needed a
detector that would fit my needs, yet without costing an arm and leg.

I know there may be others on this newsgroup who will disagree, and I also
noticed this newsgroups seems to be in the UK, so that may make a difference
as well. However, I purchased a new Garrett Ace 250 Metal Detector.

It works great, does everything I need or want - plus far more, and was
under $250. However, 95% of my detecting will be on the beach, with maybe 5%
up in the lower Southern California mountains looking for gold. This
particular detector is Garrett's most popular detector, and the new Ace 250
metal detector has won much praise amounts metal detectorists not only for
its aggressive good looks, but also for the technology used in theses new
machines. From custom notch discrimination, pinpointing, adjustable
sensitivity and depth settings to the newest addition of the PROformance
coils series, the 6.5x9" Ace coil.

Likewise, the Garrett Ace 150 does not have as many bells & whistle as the 
250, but comes with a price tag of around $175 - cheaper if you shop around.

I hope this helps.
John Sisker
jsisker@sprynet.com
(714) 536-3850